House Words
by Lots-of-Little-Pink-Clouds
Summary: The words of a house can tell you a lot about what they value. It is the words that pureblood children learn first before everything else, and it is these words which carve a house's place within Wizarding society.
1. Toujours Pur

**A/N:** More inspiration! Probably came about because the semester is almost over – I'll most likely have more time to write during the summer since the only thing I have is work. As a side note, this is mostly headcanons, don't think it's legit or anything.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Title:** House Words

 **Rating:** K

 **Pairing:** N/A

 **Summary:** The words of a house can tell you a lot about what they value. It is the words that pureblood children learn first before everything else, and it is these words which carve a house's place within Wizarding society.

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 **Black: Toujours Pur**

Always Pure.

For that was what the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black was and what they prided themselves to be. Obsession was a nasty thing however, and many heirs to the family found themselves quickly driven to the brink of madness in order to obtain the one ideal that was expected of them.

Some had done so, choosing to marry into the families that had been chosen for them. Others turned their back on this noble goal, in doing so, turning their back on their family, their history, their legacy, their blood; for this, they were punished. If they could not stand with their family, they would stand against them – _blood traitors_. Only the head of the family could disown a child of the Blacks, however, for that was his duty, his right.

By the powers that be, the Black family was one of the oldest Wizarding families of Great Britain's magical community, and with that came great influence. Priding themselves on their pure blood, they made waves within the Wizengamot – many Blacks were known and feared for their political skill and their magical power, and later, their hordes of books on the darkest kinds of magic. Only in recent history would they delve into the secrets kept on their shelves, only recently would they take up their wands and use such spells in the name of a lord that was not of their own house, for their minds were addled with the prospect of more power and the insanity that came with marrying one's cousins for several generations.

There is a tale that was once told to the youngest of Blacks that has since faded to time – a tale of how they obtained their name, their words, and the animal that adorns their crest. It has been forgotten in favor of the pursuit of power and purity, of death and inbreeding. Not everyone has forgotten however, for the books within the library of the Blacks remembers, even if they sit and collect dust, hidden under stacks of tomes of dark spells and curses.

It is said that the Blacks, young and flourishing and powerful, slowly grew from humble beginnings – peaceful healers, roaming bards, skilled potioneers, no one is sure. But the youngest of four, kind and noble Cygnus Black I, protected and raised a unicorn, the purest of all magical creatures. The fair creature was forever grateful to the young Black, so grateful that he bestowed upon the other a hair from his tail for which Cygnus used as the core of his wand. And with this wand, the youngest of the Blacks led his family, in turn honoring his dearest friend and his kin – _toujours pur_.

However, the Black family slowly forgot over time their honorable and humble beginnings, indulging themselves in the fruits of their labour, the gold that they earned, and the status that came with being such an old family. They deemed the unicorn on their crest as weak, and the Black family was not, could not, be considered weak. They changed their crest, changed the animal which decorated it for centuries. But they kept the words. These however they twisted the meaning of, tainting them until they became a mockery of what they once were.

'Always pure' _of blood_ , for in this new world, blood is the only thing that matters.


	2. Consacré au Devoir

**A/N:** I suppose this is a series now. If you have suggestions for house words, feel free to let me know – **put the name of the house, the suggested motto, and your reasons why you believe it would fit** and I'll see what I can do. I kind of want to do the Potter family or Weasley families next, but need ideas (what do you think of "Headstrong and righteous"? It could be for either/or, but I'm not too sure).

This one chapter was one that I had a lot of fun writing – I've always liked the name Rosier. Plus, since we don't know too much about the actual Evan Rosier, I decided to write something up based on my interpretation of him in my fic **Fading Away**. I also did a bit of research into flowers (especially roses), cause you know, "Rosier".

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Title:** House Words

 **Rating:** K

 **Pairing:** N/A

 **Summary:** The words of a house can tell you a lot about what they value. It is the words that pureblood children learn first before everything else, and it is these words which carve a house's place within Wizarding society.

 _Reviews:_

 _AnotherAoife:_ I'm glad you enjoyed it! The House of Black was the easiest to write about since we meet so many members from it, but I doubt that I'll have time to write POV fics of characters in reaction to them – short, 400 – 700 word chapters of descriptive bullcrap is more than enough.

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 **Rosier:** **Consacré au Devoir**

Devoted to Duty.

Those of the Noble and Ancient House of Rosier prided themselves for this, and this alone. Duty meant everything to a Rosier, for duty was all they had. They may seem a slippery sort, for no Rosier has ever been sorted into another house other than Slytherin, but when one's loyalty is gained, it remains unfaltering, unyielding.

Their duty to their family, to continuing their line was always admirable – no Rosier would ever dare accept an unsuitable match. To them, their duty to provide a pureblood heir was just as important as their duty to the Wizengamot, to Wizarding kind, as well as to their country. For Britain was their home and they viewed it as their duty to protect it from outsiders, enemies, and the unworthy.

The Rosier family is old, one of many Wizarding families that relocated to Britain from the continent due to wars long forgotten – not even they know when they had done so. While the Blacks were skilled in politics, seeping in magical power, and knowledgeable in dark magic, the Rosiers always maintained a grace and skill in dancing, both on and off the battlefield. In the ballroom, their steps were focused, measured, calculated, yet always sure, always confident, never uncertain – it was rumored that a child of the Rosiers would learn to dance, never stopping until their feet bled, until their skill was considered perfect. Every movement they made held purpose, as nothing a Rosier did was ever meaningless.

This discipline left many purebloods wanting. With this discipline also came diversity, for every Rosier was taught from a young age to duel, casting their spells in accordance to the beat of their own heart and every wizard or witch's heart beats to different tunes; just as some wizards prefer curses, others prefer hexes. It is due to this that the Rosiers were feared on the battlefield – no Rosier ever fought the same.

Unlike many other houses, the crest of the Noble and Ancient House of Rosier bears no animal. Instead, two roses, one yellow and one red, stand proud and defiantly intertwined.

It is said that the Rosiers were formed from a union of two powerful French purebloods, loyal only to each other. From this union, their crest was born – red for the love that they shared; yellow for their unending devotion to each other; roses to immortalize their love so that it would surpass time and even death; intertwined to seal their vow. From this crest came their words, _Devoted to Duty_.

The Rosiers never forgot their noble heritage. Instead, they embraced it to the fullest, one of the first of Wizarding Britain's noble families to fall to greed and the obsession of purity. Yet unlike their many other inbred cousins, they never forgot the vow their ancestors made, nor did they forget what and for whom they stand for. It was with this vow that they continue to claim fealty to whatever new lord rises to power, dark or light, for the protection of magic and its peoples will always be the most important thing to a Rosier.

This, they swear, is the duty that they devote themselves to.


	3. Rydych Reap Beth 'ch Hau

**A/N:** If you have suggestions for house words, feel free to let me know – **put the name of the house, the suggested motto, and your reasons why you believe it would fit** and I'll see what I can do.

The Potter family motto is in Welsh; do not quote me on it being the correct prose, however (Google Translate is very unreliable, but it's all I've got). If something is wrong and if you can provide me with the correct translation that would be greatly appreciated! This goes for any and all of the chapters as well!

Finally, this one might be much longer than the others (obviously since it's about the Potters).

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter.

 **Title:** House Words

 **Rating:** K

 **Pairing:** N/A

 **Summary:** The words of a house can tell you a lot about what they value. It is the words that pureblood children learn first before everything else, and it is these words which carve a house's place within Wizarding society.

 _Reviews:_

 _Anthi35:_ The Black family motto is in French; this one I found out from the wiki. The same goes for Rosier – this is mainly because Rosier is actually a French last name (though it could be used in other places, who knows). Also, this chapter and the next will be dedicated to you :)

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 **Potter:** **Rydych Reap Beth 'ch Hau**

You Reap What You Sow.

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, in vast contrast to the Houses of Black and Rosier, prided themselves to be not warriors, but rather, defenders of peace.

This resulted in many Potters becoming famous potioneers and healers; from these professions, their vast fortune sprung up, though many remain humble in regards to it. However, when a disastrous situation threatens to come to its breaking point, no Potter would ever stand idly by and watch as the world around them burned. Just as there are many potioneers and healers within their family, there are just as many fighters.

Much like their fellows the Blacks and Rosiers, the Potter family is old. Their ancestral home is speculated to be located somewhere in Wales, though no respectable pureblood would ever dare to enquire; it is rumored that only a Potter in both name and blood would be able to find it, and while many other families share blood with the Potters, there still remains a living heir (much to the others' consternation).

There are two things that the Potters are infamously known for, aside from their straight forward personalities and propensity for charging into situations no matter the risk. The first is their appearance. The second is their spouses.

All Potter sons are born with messy black hair and terrible vision, forcing them to wear glasses. However, they wear these glasses as a badge of honor, a trademark that has been a part of the family genes for generations. Despite the horrendousness of their prescription, this does not normally affect anything in particular and most Potter sons grow up without ever needing to see a mediwizard or witch to have their eyesight corrected. The same cannot be said for Potter daughters, who are known to be free spirited without any detriment to their vision. They do, however, share the infamous raven coloured hair that all Potters do.

It is also a well-known fact that Potter wives oftentimes have red hair. No one is truly sure of why this is nor how it came to be, however, the name of Mrs. Potter and a red-haired beauty have become synonymous.

One would not normally associate such free-spirited folk with words that sound like such an ominous warning. However, there is one more fact about the Potters that they keep buried under wraps, a story and lesson that they learned many, many generations ago.

Everyone has heard the Tale of the Three Brothers. While the first brother's throat was slit as a result of his pride and arrogance, and the second brother hung himself due to his greed and eventual despair, the youngest and smartest of all three remained humble, keeping his secret hidden and safe, and refused to use it discriminatorily until it came time for him to pass on.

From this story, the Potters honor their ancestor in both their crest, a circle surrounded by a triangle with a line running down the center, as truly, you do reap what you sow.


End file.
